The compact space of Grove & Vine Providore required careful design. Photo: Penny Lane
This providore thrives on a unique fitout, writes Stephen Crafti.
LIKE many of Melbourne's treasures, this one was discovered by chance. Grove & Vine Providore, in Yarra Street, South Yarra, is run by Sherri Dickinson with her life and business partner Roger Duncan. They previously operated Superfino, a cafe in Flinders Lane and this new venue offers a place to showcase bespoke wines, cheeses, pasta, preserves and chocolate sourced locally and overseas.
''We didn't want a 'High Street' location. We tend to attract locals and those who hear about us by word of mouth,'' Duncan says. ''This isn't Flinders Lane, but it has a laneway feel, which, like Melbourne, is quite intimate,'' Dickinson says.
To create an appropriate fitout, Duncan and Dickinson engaged designer Kate Stokes, who trained in industrial design, and architect Haslett Grounds. ''The first thing we said to Kate and Haslett was we didn't want the traditional bottle shop interior, wine racks and fridges. We were after something more individual. We used the word 'disjointed', to entice customers to explore the space,'' Duncan says.
Only 40 square metres in area, Grove & Vine Providore's initial signpost is thousands of wine corks mounted up behind the shopfront. Accompanied by 2000 suspended corks, each attached to string, it creates a dramatic and delightful sense of arrival. The theme of cork extends to the entire fitout. Cork tiles are on the floor, the shelves and moveable display benches are also made from a special type of cork - OSB or Oriented Strand Board which is often used for structural support such as bracing boards. ''It's relatively inexpensive. It also adds warmth and texture to the space,'' Stokes says.
As the compact space must provide for functions, Stokes and Haslett designed the three central modules on wheels. This allows the pods to come together to form a trestle-like table. And to provide extra storage, each unit is lined with shelves. Each display shelf acts as a plinth to display the various wines. There's also sufficient space below these shelves for unopened boxes of wine. ''This space had to be both retail and 'back of house' [storage],'' Dickinson says.
The designers were keen to ensure the fitout was as simple as possible, allowing the produce to take centre stage. As a consequence, the steel ceiling is left in its original state. Pendant light fittings, with exposed light globes, provide sufficient light. A screen conceals the small back of house. ''In Flinders Lane, we literally had to eat lunch in front of customers. There was just nowhere to escape,'' says Duncan, who appreciates the modest area set aside for a table and chairs at the back of the store.
For Stokes, the most difficult aspect of the brief was starting with an almost blank canvas. Apart from the steel ceiling, there was little else. ''It can be difficult working with a blank canvas, particularly when the concept isn't something you see every day,'' she says.
However, Stokes and Haslett are delighted that their original renderings have been delivered as conceived. ''It's identical,'' she says.
